Battle of Wenshang

The Battle of Wenshang occurred in 190 AD during the Yellow Turban Rebellion. The landless warlord Liu Bei led his army to crush a Yellow Turban uprising in Dong Commandery led by Zhao Bo, and Guan Yu slew him in battle as Liu Bei's army destroyed the rebels.

Background
After the Battle of Hulao Pass and Dong Zhuo's abandonment of Luoyang in 190 AD, the warlord Liu Bei left the service on Gongsun Zan and sought a powerbase to build up his strength. He and his sworn brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei marched their army of 1,263 troops into Dong Commandery, where they faced a Yellow Turban insurgent army of 721 troops under Zhao Bo. Liu Bei led his army into battle with the rebels in central Dong Commandery near Wenshang, located among the mountains of northeastern China.

Battle
Liu Bei had a numerically superior army, and he led his army into battle, confident of victory. He first sent out Guan Yu, who challenged the Yellow Turban leader Zhao Bo to a duel. Guan Yu was clearly the superior warrior, striking down Zhao Bo after only a few bouts. Liu Bei then had his army attack the Yellow Turbans from three sides, hemming them in and slaughtering them. 89 of them were captured as Liu Bei's army gave chase to ensure their army's destruction, and Liu Bei decided to incorporate them into his army to replace the 61 soldiers whom he had lost in the battle. With his path clear, Liu Bei then marched on to secure a foothold in Dong Commandery.